Photo By Nas Sigonella Public Affairs Office | NAVAL RADIO TRANSMITTER FACILITY NISCEMI, Sicily (July 24, 2025)— Sailors and local...... read more read more
NAVAL RADIO TRANSMITTER FACILITY NISCEMI, Sicily (August 6, 2025) – On the morning of July 24, 2025, during a routine security patrol on the south side perimeter of Naval Radio Transmitter Facility (NRTF), a fire was spotted. The single fire was one of several that required the combined efforts of both Italian and American firefighters alongside base personnel to fight.
“Fires are not uncommon in Sicily; oftentimes they are used to clear dead foliage,” said Master-At-Arms 1st Class Phillip Laramie, a patrol supervisor at NRTF. “We typically monitor them, report up the chain of command, and have the proper authorities deal with them.”
On this day, however, the fire proved more persistent and was moving quickly. An additional fire was spotted in the west, moving toward the south. First responders were called, but with every second passing, and resources spread thin, the fires continued to rapidly spread.
“We don’t normally deal with fires, but the proximity and size of this one required us to intervene.” said Laramie.
The Vigili del Fuoco, Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella’s fire department, local forestry services, and NRTF personnel worked in unison to fight the forest fires in the Niscemi National Forest, also known as the Sughereta. NASSIG deployed a brush fire truck where Sailors and Firefighters worked tirelessly to fight the fires inside and adjacent to NRTF Niscemi. The fires were sufficiently large that the State Forestry Corps (Forestale) employed aircraft to combat the fires. The Sailors not operating a brush fire truck or all-terrain fire fighting vehicle, cleared dead foliage and patrolled the base to report spot fires to enact a quick response before a spot fire spread out of control.
Fortunately, the two major fires were halted before reaching any major infrastructure, and gradually burnt themselves out. The next day, new fires were reported in the southeast and northwest of NRTF.
“We stayed disciplined and did what we had to do,” said Laramie. “We did our part while fire services handled the bulk of it. This is not something we normally deal with, so I am really proud of how our team came together to deal with everything going on.”
Sailors of particular note were Master-At-Arms Seaman Apprentices Christopher Cano and Kevin Zuniga, both of which were present in the duration of the emergency response as patrolmen.
Zuniga assisted with hosing down and swatting out fires, while also towing vehicles out of the raging fires’ path. Cano provided similar support, and while patrolling the base reported several emergent fires, preventing the blaze from escalating further.
“I was one of the first responders to the fire on the first day,” said Cano. “We had to respond quickly, otherwise it would have burnt through the whole base. It ended right before it reached our main building.”
“The fire tested our limits, but ultimately we walked out stronger as a team,” said Zuniga. “I’m proud of my team as we were able to come together under real pressure, and ensure the wellbeing of everyone involved.”
Additional Sailors of note include Aviation Boatswain’s Mate - Aircraft Handling (ABH) Second Class Petty Officers Pacheco Stone and Ben Schoenster who fought fires alongside professional fire response team members, to include civilian Firefighter Sean Hemphill and Captain Gregory Kassebaum Hunts.
“From my 39 years of experience, I can tell you that when the call goes out and you arrive on scene and start fighting fire, the adrenaline gets you through the first hour. After that, it's a lot of hard work that can wear on you,” said Chief of Fire and Emergency Services Kash Christopher. “Our ABH's did a great job on these fires, considering the slope of the terrain and the constant wind changes they faced.”
The fires eventually met the same fate as those before and were either stopped or burnt out. Overall, the collected efforts of Navy Sailors, NAS Sigonella Fire and Emergency Services, Forestale and the Vigili di Fuoco helped reduce the fire’s damage to the Sughereta and preserved NRTF Niscemi infrastructure. Through close coordination, the US and Italian Fire and Emergency services prevented a destructive fire from turning into an unstoppable inferno.
NAS Sigonella provides consolidated operational, command and control, administrative, and advanced logistical support to U.S. and NATO forces. The installation’s strategic location enables U.S., allied, and partner nation forces to deploy and respond as required, ensuring security and stability throughout Europe, Africa and Central Asia.
For more news and information from NAS Sigonella, visit https://cnreurafcent.cnic.navy.mil/Installations/NAS-Sigonella/ or https://www.facebook.com/nassig.official/.
| Date Taken: | 08.06.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.07.2025 03:47 |
| Story ID: | 544982 |
| Location: | NISCEMI, IT |
| Web Views: | 414 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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